In May 2012, we were contacted by Miguel Pallás from the Spanish shoe brand Animas Code. He offered us a pair of “bespoke” slippers from their online shop. I used their configurator in June and 7 weeks later, I received the shoes.

Today, I want to provide an in-depth review of the Animas Code Albert slippers that were made for me.

Company History

Contrasting turquoise leather lining

Animas Code is a young Spanish company that offers all kinds of shoes for men, women and children, including loafers, Albert slippers, oxfords, boots and Spanish staple espadrilles. All of these are currently made in Spain and retail between €168 for espadrilles and €275 for slippers. They offer a range of RTW shoes as well as a “bespoke” program for slippers, boat shoes, espadrilles and loafers.

Before I was contacted by them, I was not familiar with the brand, but after I took a look at their website it seemed to me like they were trying to speak to a younger crowd who like colorful, individualized design and so I agreed to a test.

MTO, not Bespoke

Before I share my review, I would like to highlight that by using the term “bespoke”, Animas Code is misleading because each shoe is not completely made from scratch for each client. For example, you may only choose from two lasts and various sizes but you can choose between all kinds of leather, fabrics and trims. As such this is really an extensive Made-To-Order program rather than bespoke.

Matching green Animas Code sole

However, at a price of €285 (currently $385 minus the VAT, or about $310) for a MTO Albert Slipper Animas Code is certainly competitive compared to the similar service from Del Toro shoes, which costs between $455 and $525.

Order Process

All MTO orders are placed here, and with the help of the configurator, you can play around and see the shoe in person from all angles before you pull the trigger. First, I decided to go for the Madrid-Wellington slipper with a traditional Albert slipper shape vs. the more modern Seville-Drake last, which is longer and flatter with a more square toe. I’d suggest you choose both and have a look at it in the configurator, making it easier for you to decide what style you prefer.

In the next step, you choose your size from Japanese, European, UK or US sizes. Unfortunately, sizes may vary greatly with the manufacturer. I opted for EUR 44.5, which is about a 10 – 10.5 UK. They fit is neither larger nor smaller than I expected but if you are unsure, you should either contact them or click here take a look at my other shoe reviews to get a better feel of what size could be right for you.

Once you have decided on velvet, linen or suede uppers, it is time to choose your color. You can pick between 14 velvet colors ranging from black over to pink to gold, 9 sole stains and 11 leather lining colors.

Finally, you can opt for embroidery such as a logo or a monogram. Unfortunately, you cannot upload your own custom logo right there, but you can email it to them and they will add on the custom logo for you. In case you want to go custom, I would make sure to leave a comment at the checkout page.

Overall, the configurator works reasonably well and it allows you to see the product that you will finally receive. Of course, the colors vary with the settings of your monitor but in my case, they were accurate. Expect to wait about 6 – 7 weeks to receive your MTO slippers.

For a demo of the configurator, watch the video below:

Last & Fit

The Madrid-Wellington last is very classic and similar to the Del Toro slippers. I like the leather lining over the polyester quilted lining because your feet are less prone to sweat. At the same time, the thinner leather lining leaves a bit more room at my narrow heel, which does not result in a perfect fit but for a house shoe they are perfectly comfortable. The geometry of the last is correct and when the heal touches the floor, the sole in the area of your foot’s front arch will touch the floor as well. This is important to ensure a comfortable walk as well as preventing horizontal wrinkles on the uppers.

Overall, I am quite happy with the fit, despite some minor imperfections.

Workmanship

The green velvet I chose was lasted correctly and there are no wrinkles anywhere on the shoe. The leather lining was expertly sewn and the custom crest I chose was embroidered neatly and straight. The heels seem to made of hard rubber with a rubber heal end piece and leather at the bottom layer. The sole is leather as well, glued to the uppers, which is absolutely the standard for Albert slippers. I opted for a matching green stain for my sole but after a few months of use, you can see the stain coming off, which does not bother me at all. Apart from that, most soles are just coated with stain, and not pigment dyed in a specific color. The grosgrain ribbon in the back was not perfectly straight on both shoes but close enough that nobody will ever notice. Overall, I think the workmanship on this shoe is quite good.

Fabric & Leather

The uppers are made of a short nap cotton velvet, which has a nice look to it but it cannot compare to real high end velvets made of 100% mohair or silk. It is about the same quality as the one used by Del Toro; however Animas Code offers more colors.

Sole thickness comparison Del Toro – Animas Code

The leather used on the sole is 1/4 ” thick, thicker than Del Toro’s slippers but certainly not of Rendenbach quality. Since I only wear the slippers at home, they still look great though I am sure it would not last too long if you wore them outside a lot.

For the lining, I opted for turquoise and even if I wear them all day, it never colored off on my socks, unlike the Alfred Sargent shoes.

Gros Grain Ribbon Slightly Crooked

Altogether, the materials used by Animas Code are equal or better than the ones used by Del Toro and while they are not the absolute best materials available, they are overall quite good.

Miscellaneous

I really liked the fact that Animas Code offered a custom embroidery option because it is a great opportunity to make the shoe truly unique. In addition to that, you may also send them your very own cloth, so you can create an even more personalized slipper. Considering all these benefits do NOT come with an upcharge, it makes their shoes even more attractive.

When ordering, the website configurator could be a little more intuitive and offer a next or back button, but I am sure you will figure it out quickly.

Where to Buy Animas Code Slippers

Conclusion

Considering the high degree of customization Animas code offers through its MTO program, I really think you should invest €10 more to create your very own shoe. With all the customization options, ease of ordering, the fact that you can see what you buy and the competition, I think Animas Code provides a solid product. Obviously it is not a bespoke shoe, but is also comes at just a fraction of the price of comparable slippers from Fiona Dreesman or Del Toro.

If you want a plain slipper in black, I am sure you can find a polyester lined model from Broadland for less. But if you prefer vivid colors, leather lining and a high degree of customization, Animas Code has currently the best product in my opinion.